A/N: Hello again! I completed 5.0 in FF14, and man was it fantastic! I realize now that I definitely screwed a couple things up, but it works out with how I intend on this story going. In fact, it might just even work out perfectly!
That being said, I'm glad to see some people have taken an interest in the story. If you guys want to see something in particular, leave a review or send me a message, and I'll let you know on if it can be done with credit being given to you if it isn't something I had already planned!
For anyone reading this in desktop format, I apologize. I write these things out on my phone between my college courses and work, so that's the format it's best viewed in.
Disclaimers: I still don't own FF14 or RWBY.
The trio left Ozpin's office alongside Dolan with little more to say after accepting the man's proposal. He had offered the services of the school's armory in order to keep their gear in shape, although they ultimately only agreed because Aran would need to repurpose one of her existing weapons to fit Y'Shtola's stature.
A Master of the Hand Aran was, though she seldom kept her tools in her enchanted bags. Space such as that was akin to prime real estate for her weapons and armor that she kept on hand for her various jobs.
And so, with a goal in mind, they arrived in the armory. Dolan, who acted as their guide, parted ways after.
"So, what kind of weapon were you thinking?" Aran asked. "Lithe though your frame is, even you do not deny that you lack the strength to use anything heavier than a lance effectively. Realistically, I think you have four choices. Chakram, daggers, the bow, or the handcannon."
Y'Shtola nodded in agreement. "I arrived at a similar conclusion. Chakram, I think, will be the easiest for me to adapt to. And I know for a fact that you are a rather experienced Dancer."
Beside her, Ryne glanced up at Aran. "You are?"
The Warrior nodded as she dragged out her Nabaath Chakram and set them down on a workbench. While she wouldn't be able to give the Miqo'te these chakram, she can at the very least begin the design process for a new set.
"Come here, Y'Shtola. I need to get measurements on your arms and shoulders."
And so they worked for several hours, with Aran showing Ryne the beginning steps of weapon crafting and theory. The girl was familiar with a number of concepts already, thanks to her work with Thancred's gunblade cartridges, but the new concepts were absorbed instantly.
"You've a knack for this line of work." Y'Shtola stated as they prepared to leave.
The girl smiled. "I originally took a liking to crafting because it made me feel like I was finally being useful. Now, it's something that just clicks with me. I'm hopeful that when Aran puts her hammer to metal, she'll allow me help too. So that I'll have aided you as well."
Y'Shtola placed a hand on Ryne's head. "You're a greater help than you realize, Ryne. And I'm sure she would be happy to have some help."
A nod and grin from the Viera was all the acceptance the youngest member of the trio needed.
They began trekking through the various hallways, exploring the school with a practiced pace that led them to an amphitheater crowded with new students. A quick glance out of a raised window showed the sun to be sinking behind the horizon.
"Seems we spent longer on your tool than we had thought." Aran muttered. They began picking their way through the crowd, until a rather shrill shout drew their attention. A glance and a nod was all that was needed to set them on a course towards where it had originated from.
The scene they arrived at would have been comical, if not for a small girl dressed in red and black cowering behind a taller blonde. The person who shouted stood in front of them both, a slim girl dressed in white and pale blue.
Once it was clear that nobody was in trouble, the trio broke off from the argument about to unfold.
"These people are soft." Aran stated unexpectedly after several minutes. They had found an empty patch of wall to sit against as they watched the room.
Ozpin had taken the stage within the room and began to speak, but his words were drowned out by those around them.
Y'Shtola's hand caught Aran's in a gentle grip, drawing her attention.
"You've been on the front lines for far too long. When was the last time you took more than an evening for yourself? Spent time in any of the cities without a goal or objective burning at the forefront of your mind? And no, I do not count your adventuring. There is more to life than fighting."
Aran's frown was all Y'Shtola needed for an answer, but Ryne began to speak before her.
"Thancred's told many stories about you, though I'm unsure if I trust every shred of information he saw fit to speak. A lot of what I heard sounds… impossible. Killing an immortal dragon? What have you done?"
The Warrior shrugged. "Nothing that anyone else couldn't do with enough persistence and tenacity, so long as they possessed the Echo." And so she began her tale, starting with when she had first been contacted by the Scions. Y'Shtola had asked to know when the last time she had rested, after all, so it was only right to start where she had last done so.
The tale she wove was of proportions utterly foreign to the young woman who listened in closely. Unknown to the Warrior who spoke, Thancred's own tales had left Aran as an idol to the girl, something only now being rekindled by the tale escaping from her lips. That Y'Shtola only nodded and commented only sparingly with wry smiles here and there, reinforcing the belief in the events that had taken place around the Scions, served only to elevate the Warrior of Light higher.
Y'Shtola shook her head after Aran finished, hours later. Most students had already sought out some form of sleeping arrangement within the amphitheater, though there were a small few who were still awake.
"So, even ignoring the primal hunting we've done, you've not only fought in two different wars, you single handedly ended the Dragonsong War, then lead Doma, Ala Mhigo, and the tribes of the Steppes to their own liberations and ensured their ability to remain as such."
"...I had plenty of help." Aran added lamely, earning a chuckle from her lover.
"'Help,' she says. Full true that may be, the driving force has always been you. I trust you've never entertained the thought, but has it ever occurred to you that entire nations owe their existence to you? Or that the leaders of these nations, friends all the same, would follow you unto their last breath? Not unlike the Scions."
A frown worked its way to Aran's facial structure. "Perhaps. But there is more to me and my past that you would likely shun, were it common knowledge."
"But that is all in the past," Ryne replied. "It cannot be changed, and as such there is no point in living in it." The words earned a smile from the woman they were aimed towards.
"Thank you, Ryne. Full glad am I to have you around. Gods know that I've not spent nearly enough time with my own children before they were full grown and living their own lives."
Y'Shtola shifted beside her. "I've been meaning to ask about them. Do you know what they do now?"
"I keep tabs on them when possible. Even though I am of the Veena clan, it should be clear by now that I do not follow my people's social and religious norms, nor really anything else that they would say I should. Such is how my children live their lives as well, always questioning. I have four kits, all of whom now have kits of their own or have perished. Two followed in my steps to become warriors and hunters of some renown, where my firstborn perished in my arms during the reformation of Garlemald's Republic into what it is now at the hands of someone I'd never entertained the thought of seeing again. The other lives now in Ala Mhigo with her own kits; you've actually met her, though I do not think you realized it. At the very least, I know you healed her at Rhalgr's Reach. Another one sought to aid the efforts against the Garlean invasion of Doma as a healer, where she was killed in the same rebellion that took Kaien's life, also by Zeno's hand. My last kit returned to the Range some thirty summers back, and I've not heard much from her beyond a kit of her own."
Y'Shtola and Ryne quieted when they heard her words. The Warrior noticed, putting on a smile.
"Peace, you two. There is nothing to be sad over, they lived such wonderful lives before they passed. We've spoken enough, I should think. Sleep beckons."
"For years you have trained to become warriors, and today your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest." Ozpin began.
When morning had come, the trio had perhaps been the most prepared for such an early start. Even now, it was clear that those around them were not accustomed to rising at dawn. They found themselves at the Beacon cliffs, overlooking the forest Ozpin had mentioned. The students had all found themselves lined up on launch pads, earning a small grin from Aran and Ryne while Y'Shtola gave an irritated sigh as she crossed her arms. In the line, they were the closest to Ozpin and Goodwitch.
"Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams. Allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates today." Glynda said. Beside her, Ozpin began to speak again.
"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon, so it's in your best interest to be paired with someone whom you would work with well. That being said, the first person you make eye contact with will be your partner for the next four years."
Down the line, they heard multiple groans.
"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy anything in your path, or you will die."
The trio blinked at the man's words. For an initiation into an academy, that seemed a rather chaotic and drastic way to earn your place.
"You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene." As he said that, Ozpin glanced at the three foreigners. Aran read the unvoiced order immediately. "You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"
A blonde male to Aran's left raised his hand nervously. "Uh… sir?"
Ozpin pointedly ignored the boy. "Good. Take your positions."
The blonde continued as if he wasn't ignored. "Uh, yeah, so… this landing strategy thingy… what is it? Are you like… dropping us off, or…?"
"No. You will be falling."
The blonde was about to ask another question, only to be greeted by Y'Shtola's annoyed answer to what she knew was going to leave his mouth next.
"You must use your aether in order to land safely. Something that it seems you do not have control over unlike anyone else here. Aran, shall you or shall I form the barrier?"
Aran glanced at the remaining students, deciding on if Y'Shtola would have the time. Seeing the small black and red obsessed girl from last night preparing to be launched, she acted quickly as she thrust out a hand towards the blonde's head. Without a proper focus, her spell was far less effective, but it should have been enough to save the boy from any broken bones.
Just in time too, as he was launched not a second later. When Aran and the other two were not launched, she glanced at Ozpin.
"I dare say we shall bend the rules, just this once, for you three. I can see in all of you the experience of a veteran huntsman, in Miss Vinland most of all. I am informing you now that you are your own team of three, and that I'm asking you to protect those that fall. Will you do this?"
All three nodded without hesitation.
"Good. Enjoy the airtime."
Then they were launched. Aran maneuvered her way to Y'Shtola, grabbing Ryne along the way.
Back on the cliff, Ozpin rubbed his chin as he stared after them.
"Glynda?"
"Yes, Ozpin?"
"Do you think that barrier was Aran's Semblance, or something else?"
Landing was simple enough as Y'Shtola wove a barrier around them. The cause of the worried expression on her face was due to what she saw when Aran manipulated the aether around the blonde boy.
"Aether manipulation of anything larger in scope than is required for your gunblade is off the table," the Miqo'te insisted as they walked. Ryne had brought it up first, but Aran's telling her off brought her into the conversation with some heat. "The Light within you is becoming more unstable. The stress of using aether is not helping matters."
Aran sighed, deigning not to answer her companions' demands. All that would result was an argument that they could ill afford at the moment.
As they walked, Y'Shtola grew more tense until she finally muttered a word. "Grimm."
Aran's gunblade was in her hand in a flash, followed shortly by Ryne drawing her daggers.
"Save your magic, Y'Shtola. We'll handle this."
The Warrior's words were followed by the semi-familiar howls of beowolves, before they began to flow out of the woods ahead of them in a tide of bodies.
First blood was drawn by Aran as her weapon roared to life, firing a blast of aether into the lead beowolf. She was pleasantly surprised to see it crumple from the lightning shot, the noise drawing attention solely to her.
"Ryne, split! I'll draw them away, pick off stragglers and any that expose themselves if you can!"
Trusting the girl to follow her orders, Aran turned and ran deeper into the woods, letting loose another lightning shot into the crowd of Grimm. Y'Shtola was only a step behind.
The Miqo'te had misjudged, however, the Viera's speed within a forest. The woman began to tread not on the ground, but jumping from tree trunk to tree trunk, loosing lightning shots into the black tide behind them. Thankfully, they were devoting all their attention to the Warrior of Light.
She frowned when Aran had swapped from ranged combat to melee, aetherial detonations from her cartridges melding with the sound of steel cutting flesh and bone.
"Not likely to find a better time anyway." Y'Shtola muttered, turning and drawing her staff. She prepared herself to intervene if needed, watching closely as the Warrior performed her craft.
Watching Aran as she twisted and turned, leaping from tree to ground to tree, was more akin to watching a dance than a fight, Y'Shtola mused. An occasional beast falling in the back revealed Ryne's handiwork as she put Thancred and Aran's lessons to use.
The Warrior of Light emptied her gunblade's chambers as she rolled over the back of a particularly large beowolf. Acting on instinct, she replaced the spent cartridges with fresh. It wasn't until she was in the rough center of the tide of black wolves that she ceased her relentless advance and gave a brief shout of challenge. Then, aetherial fire wove itself around her, following her blade in a destructive arc before expanding to engulf the majority of creatures in a Fated Circle.
Standing at the ready, she awaited any new Grimm challengers. When none came, the gunblade lowered whilst she caught her breath. When Ryne and Y'Shtola approached her, a grin touched her lips.
"Well done Ryne, Y'Shtola."
"My own participation was miniscule at best," the Miqo'te muttered. "But we must keep moving."
Both women nodded at her words, then set out at a pace dictated by Aran. Y'Shtola, with the experience gained in the Night's Blessed, was able to keep up with the Viera's seeming fluidity within the forest. The Warrior slipped past roots and fallen trees as simply as if she were moving on cobblestone. Ryne, on the other hand, began having difficulties with the advanced pace. Soon enough, the girl was only following the sounds of Aran's armor.
It wasn't for several minutes after Ryne had begun to fall behind that Aran stopped moving on top of a rotting trunk abruptly, nearly causing Y'Shtola to jump into her before catching herself.
The reason for the stop, Y'Shtola decided, was to observe the clearing that she finally made out in front of her.
Six students were gathered in the clearing, apparently arguing amongst one another if their raised voices were to judge anything by. One voice in particular, belonging to a tall red-haired hyur in possession of a rather large mace and armor, rang above the others. Upon closer inspection, it seemed that four of the students had cornered the other two, with a distinct racial split. Alongside the redhead were three more hyur, whilst the cornered students appeared to be Miqo'te with red fox-like ears and tails.
"I don't care if you found it first, you filthy faunus. Give me the relic, or I'll take it from you!"
Between the two Miqo'te, or faunus, Aran noted the name to herself, one of them was female. And also apparently the more bold of the two.
"Back off, Winchester. The chess piece is ours, now buzz off and find your own in the damn temple. Good luck getting to it, your thick skull is probably enough to break the bridge over the ravine."
The boy, Winchester, smiled as he hefted his mace menacingly. He only took one step, however, before a thundering gunshot tore his attention to Aran's position. The Warrior lowered her gunblade from the skies, staring into Winchester's eyes with a glare that sent shivers down his spine.
"Step away from them, lest you do something you can never undo. Do you truly think yourselves unmonitored and unseen, or are you just an idiot?"
"I don't think this is any of your business," he ground out from behind his teeth. "Just keep bouncing on over to the temple like a good little rabbit."
Aran sighed as she glanced over to Y'Shtola. "I tried the verbal approach. Can I-"
"No. This is not the Range or the Forest."
"But -"
"The answer is no. You exiled yourself because of reasons like those. He has not physically assaulted anyone to our knowledge yet, though I do agree his attitude could use some adjustment. Only I get to call you a little rabbit."
"Fine." Aran stated with an eye roll. She noted Ryne had arrived during Winchester's verbal barbs, and now stuck to the shadows. "You have two options right now, boy. You can try, and fail, to take their relic, in which you will give us ample reason to respond with force. Or, you could turn around right now and march to the temple with us and perhaps earn the Headmaster's forgiveness. You may even make a friend or two along the way." After all, what were four teenagers to a woman that bested Zenos yae Galvus in single combat not only once, but twice?
"Who the hell are you, anyways?" The boy growled. "Some kind of magical friendship bunny? Get real."
Y'Shtola placed a hand on Aran's arm as she walked over the rotten trunk, stopping the woman's retort.
"Yes, she is. In fact, she's just magical enough to point out the observation devices scattered around us. Stay your course, and you will find yourself not only unwelcome to Beacon, but to this Kingdom as whole, I should think. Brigands are seldom welcome in places of civilization after all. This vaunted magical bunny of friendship, as you call her, is trying to save your life."
Behind Winchester, the other humes shifted nervously until the one closest to him spoke up.
"C-come on Cardin, let's just go with them. I'm not gonna kicked out just because of some stupid faunus." Behind him, the other two added in their agreement.
Winchester ground his teeth as he stared at Aran and Y'Shtola. Then, he turned without a word and stalked towards the trees, only stopping when he noticed the foreigners weren't following.
"Well? Come on then. I'm not sitting here all day."
"In a moment, brute." Y'Shtola replied. "You can come out now, Ryne. You're still welcome to show him the sharp end of your dagger if he keeps up the attitude, however."
Ignoring the humes' reactions to Ryne and Y'Shtola, Aran made her way over to the two faunus.
"You two were rather quick in getting a relic. How'd you manage it?"
"My Semblance works particularly well while airborne. It allowed me to grab my partner here and land us almost within the ruined temple. Be careful though, there's a ravine between here and there that those four might try to drop you in if you're not careful. There's a rope bridge that has definitely seen better days, we crossed it one at a time just to be sure."
Aran's eyebrow rose at the use of the word Semblance. Clearly, it was referring to an ability of some sort that some of the people within this Shard possessed.
"Thank you. The route we arrived through should be relatively clear of Grimm unless they filled in behind us. Find a scorched area of the forest, and you're on the right path." She then held out her hand. "Aran Vinland."
The faunus smiled and grasped the hand in a firm grip. "Amethyst Priya. Friends call me Amy. The silent one behind me is my cousin, Onyx. Shared last name."
A glance towards the other faunus earned Aran a nod from the boy. Releasing Amethyst's hand, the Viera moved back towards Y'Shtola and Ryne, who had seemingly quelled the hume's outburst. Before leaving the clearing, Aran turned back and waved to the departing faunus.
It was another hour of travel until they reached the ravine. True to Amethyst's word, a dilapidated rope bridge looked to be the only way across. More unsettling to Aran as she looked into the depths with the humes, was the fact that even her enhanced eyesight was unable to pierce the darkness far below. She turned to Y'Shtola, who had joined her only moments ago alongside Ryne.
"Can you make out anything?"
"No. In fact, it's almost as if there's been a glamour cast over the bottom. But I cannot see the aether that would indicate such, which harkens to me a memory of when we spent time in The Burn. Or perhaps… of the Empty in the First, were we to remove or ignore the corrupted aether."
Cardin grumbled to himself as he moved towards the bridge with the other hyur, then turned towards the trio.
"I'm not sure what aether is, and I don't really care, but we need to get across this. Is there any way you can tell if the bridge will hold us?"
Breaking away from her thoughts, Aran joined the boy at the foot of the bridge. A cursory glance was all she needed in order to judge that the faunus from before were lucky to have made it across at all.
"It won't hold anyone but myself and perhaps Ryne. Maybe Russel too, if his choice of weapons are indicative of any of the skills associated with such a job. But, I know how to get around this. Do any of you have a span of rope? Seventy yalms or so would be enough."
Cardin glanced at the others in confusion. "What the hell is a yalm?" He asked. Instead of getting an answer, Russel took off his pack and rummaged around for a moment. Then he withdrew a rope, handing it off to Aran whilst ignoring the astounded looks from the hyur.
"Will that be enough?" He asked. Then he looked towards Cardin. "What? I like to be prepared. I didn't know what we were going to be doing for initiation, so I thought I'd make sure to have something prepared for any situation."
That earned a rough chuckle from the trio next to them.
"Sorry, not laughing at you. We just happen to have a friend who is the exact same way. Of course, Thancred isn't with us right now, but you two might get along were you two to meet. To answer your question, yes, this is perhaps just the right amount." Aran answered as she eyed the other side of the ravine. Then, surprising all involved, she reached towards one of the rope handrails holding the bridge up and pulled on it.
"I'm checking the solidarity of the old rope. While it's heavily frayed, I may be able to make the crossing even easier than I thought before."
Aran hummed to herself for a moment, then reached a foot onto the first wooden plank of the bridge.
And stomped. Her foot crushed through the rotted wood easily, sending the wooden shards to the depths below.
She tossed the rope to Cardin, who barely caught it. "Hold on to that." Then, she bent down and pulled a knife from her boot before reaching down towards the two ropes that held the wooden planks up. To their surprise, she cut one of them and brought it over to the other, sending more planks along the bridge into the depths. There, she began to tie them together with a finesse that impressed even the racist hyur. Once done, she stood up and took the rope from Cardin.
"Thanks." She tied it to the wooden post that still held the frayed rope handrail of the side she had cut, then cut the handrail and moved it to the other side and copied her actions from the rope that held the planks up. When she had finished, the rest of the planks had disappeared, while two connection points for the rope remained attached to the wooden post that she hadn't cut anything from.
She smiled at Y'Shtola as she grabbed the new rope once more, giving the woman a sinking feeling as she realized what she was about to do. "No, Aran, that's -"
Too late, Y'Shtola realized, as the Viera jumped onto the upper rope of the and began to run across it. "Damn adventurers and their addiction to adrenaline-inducing situations." she muttered. All of the hyur, Ryne included, were speechless as she crossed the ravine.
She landed on the other side gracefully and began copying her actions from the other side of the bridge. The new rope was tied to the corresponding post, completing her rope bridge. The finished product, all had realized, was three ropes spanning the ravine. Two handrails, and a single rope for them to walk upon. Demonstrating the sturdiness of the construct, she crossed it normally with a smile, the glint in her eyes covered by her visor.
When she arrived, she was met with a scolding glare from Y'Shtola which promised words later. She shrugged mentally, turning instead to the hyur.
"And that is how we're going to cross. The frayed ropes will support the heaviest of us so long as we cross one by one."
Cardin blinked away his astonishment and looked towards the ground, mumbling something that only Aran could hear. Feigning ignorance, she leaned forward and asked him to repeat his words.
"I said I was sorry for my words earlier. They were uncalled for, and I know for a fact none of us would have thought of, much less been able to put into action, a plan to cross the bridge. I would bet we probably would have tried to cross it and probably died doing so. So, uh, thank you."
Aran grinned and placed a hand on Cardin's armored shoulder. "You're welcome. You may call us animals, you may call us filth, you may call us whatever you want. But keep in mind that just as everyone has their own things they excel at, so do certain cultures. Just because we have more ears and a tail doesn't mean we're inferior. Different lifestyles beget different skills, Cardin. For example, my people live deep within a forest, making our homes above the forest floor. This is a common skill we employ in order to expand our villages, or to create passageways to otherwise inaccessible areas. I won't even get into the protection it offers us from intruders."
Cardin nodded, feeling the conflicting emotions and thoughts in his mind as he heard Aran's words.
"I can see that some part of you is at war with itself. Ignore it for now, until you've finished the initiation. You've so far taken responsibility as your team's leader, so it's up to you to guide them to the finish."
Staring at Aran's visor for a few moments, Cardin nodded as he looked over at the other hyur.
"My team, right?" He muttered. He felt Aran's hand squeeze his shoulder reassuringly at his words. "That's right. They're my team. But, it's your bridge, so your team should have the honors of going first."
Shrugging, Aran turned right back around and began to cross quickly, motioning for Y'Shtola and Ryne to follow. By the time they were all across the bridge, Aran noted the determined light that had appeared in Cardin's eyes. The boy nodded towards her and pointed into the forest.
"Temple should be that way, I think I saw it before I landed."
"You think," Y'Shtola asked, "or you know?"
"I know I did. Follow me."
Nodding, the Miqo'te smiled at Aran and mouthed a 'good work' to her.
When they arrived at the temple, they weren't expecting to find eight more students fighting a rather impressive range of Grimm. To Y'Shtola, Aran, and Ryne, they only recognized dissolving beowolves.
Listening to Cardin's teammates as they debated on a course of action, she picked up and identified Nevermore, Ursai, Death Stalker, and King Taijitu. More accurately, the dissolving remains of a Ursai, a massive Nevermore that reminded Aran almost of a primal due to size alone that was currently launching quills at four of the students, the Death Stalker chasing the blonde boy from the launch pad and a red-haired woman, and a King Taijitu crashing after a boy that looked to be Doman and a girl with a hammer that would have made Ardbert proud.
Letting the hyur decide for himself, Aran turned towards Y'Shtola and Ryne.
"Think you can help get the bird out of the air, Y'Shtola?" The woman nodded and began to move towards the four, staff drawn. Aran then looked back at the remaining two groups. "Which would you feel more comfortable with?"
Ryne pointed to the large snake. "I can climb that fairly easily, possibly get at its eyes."
"Go for it, but be careful."
Then she was gone, sprinting with her daggers drawn. Aran smiled and cracked her knuckles before gripping the hilt of her gunblade. She glanced over to the hyur team.
"Cardin, focus on getting past and into the temple. We'll help them with the Grimm."
The boy nodded resolutely, then pointed towards the scorpion. "Better go help with that, that blonde kid's about to be lunch."
Drawing the gunblade, Aran dashed towards the giant scorpion as she loaded fresh cartridges into her weapon. When she was close enough, she leaped at it with a Rough Divide, stopping its tail from descending down upon the blonde boy. True to Cardin's words, he had fallen onto his rear and stared at the stinger instead of taking action.
"Move!" Aran shouted. The boy attempted to stand, only to flounder. Luckily, the red-haired woman grabbed him by his jacket and hurled him away with surprising strength.
Liability gone, Aran stepped aside and released the stinger upon its original trajectory. It stuck into the ground, giving her the opportunity she needed to deliver her Gnashing Fang. The blow swept through the tail in its entirety, severing it. Aran was about to continue her string of blows into the meat of the creature until she felt herself pulled away from it just in time to avoid a giant pincer crushing the air where she had been.
"Thank you!" She heard the redhead say. Aran nodded.
"Likewise. How do you want to kill this?"
Aran had her own tried and proven methods, but she was admittedly curious to see what the other students could come up with. To her surprise, it wasn't the girl who answered.
"We'll need to keep the pincers busy. Who among us can strike it the hardest?"
Aran recognized the blonde's voice, though it was now more confident than when she had heard it before on the launch pad. She dodged another pincer by leaping onto the bone mask and pushing herself off, landing further away than she had intended.
"Our new friend," she heard the redhead. "I wouldn't be able to cut through the tail like she did."
"Then let's distract it, let her get close enough to attack its underbelly or eyes."
She glanced at them, noting that the Grimm seemed unable to decide to attack the closer targets or the one that had severed its stinger.
"Do it!" She shouted as it settled on the closer prey. Her eyebrow rose as she watched the boy run at it with what could have been the most sloppy charge she had seen. "And keep your damned shield up if you value your life!" Her words were evidently noted by the blonde, as he raised his shield higher than it had been before.
Just in time, as a pincer slammed into him. While he was pushed away, the equipment helped him sustain the blow. Seeing the creature begin a back swipe with the other claw towards the woman, Aran prepared herself for its open guard. The moment it was open enough, Aran leaped in with another Rough Divide, plunging her gunblade into one of its many eyes. Feeling it sink into the hilt, she gave a feral smile as she ignited both cartridges, blasting through the creature. She felt rather than saw the creature blast apart, protected only by the protective carapace of the mask. The sound, however, there was no defense for as her ears bent forward in an effort to drown out the painful roar of the explosion.
She quickly jumped off the remains of the creature, landing next to the blonde and redhead who looked at the dissolving pieces in wonder.
"Wow…" the blonde muttered. Then he looked at her. "Hey, uh… thanks for the shield thing you did earlier. When I was launched, I mean. Pyrrha here unlocked my Aura, so there shouldn't need to be any repeats of that."
Noting the term 'Aura' for further research later, she smiled as she watched a massive conjured shard of ice remove one of the Nevermore's wings, sending the creature careening into the forest somewhere towards the ravine. As it fell, she picked out a small blur escaping from the beast.
"Don't worry about it. Though, I hope the Nevermore didn't just destroy my bridge." Ignoring the strange looks she received, she placed her gunblade on her back and offered her hands to the two, who took up her handshake inmediately. "Aran Vinland."
"J-Jaune Arc."
"Pyrrha Nikos, a pleasure to meet you."
She turned to find the King Taijitu and blinked in surprise as she saw Cardin's team helping Ryne and the other two students. Shrugging, she watched as the team of four drew it's attention long enough for the hammer-wielding girl to slam the weapon onto the Grimm's head, forcing it to the ground. A few moments of such a disadvantageous position saw to a plethora of weapons strike at its vulnerable eyes, silencing the beast permanently as it began to dissolve in shadowed flecks. The students gave a cry of victory, with the hammer girl telling the Doman boy to take a picture of their kill before it was gone. Apparently, he was used to the girl's theatrics as he sighed and pulled out his scroll.
Aran noted Ryne looking in her direction with a questioning glance. The Warrior merely nodded, bringing a bright smile to her face as she took a position like Cardin's team and the hammer girl.
Y'Shtola's arrival was given away by the sound of her dress ruffling slightly as she crossed her arms a few feet away.
"Spending time among people closer to her age, I see. That's good for her; none of us can particularly claim that we've the innocence left that's needed for someone as young as her to develop her social skills properly."
The Warrior nodded once more, watching as the hammer girl pulled Ryne around in an effort to get a better picture. "And the Nevermore?"
"Dead. The smaller girl in black and red from before, Ruby, cut its throat in mid descent. She said the Nevermore probably missed your bridge by a good four hundred yalms, close as I can equate their terms for distance to ours."
Numerous raised voices in the distance drew their attention to the team Y'Shtola had helped.
"They seem… interesting?" Aran asked. Shaking her head, she began to move towards them. "Best round everyone up. It's mid-day, and we've a distance to cover in getting back to Beacon."
"Russel Thrush. Cardin Winchester. Dove Bronzewing. Sky Lark. The four of you retrieved the White Bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team CRDL (Cardinal). You will be lead by Cardin Winchester. Congratulations."
Ozpin stood on the podium within the amphitheater, with the newly christened Team CRDL standing next to him smiling. They began to get off, with Cardin stopping next to Aran to give her a smile and a thank you. She smiled back and waved him onwards.
"Jaune Arc. Lie Ren. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the White Rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team JNPR (Juniper), led by Jaune Arc. Congratulations."
Jaune blinked, looking like he was about to protest until he caught a reassuring nod from both Pyrrha and Aran. Sighing, he reigned in his nervousness and moved to follow Nora and Ren.
"Next, we have Blake Belladonna. Ruby Rose. Weiss Schee. Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the White Knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team RWBY (Ruby), led by Ruby Rose. Congratulations."
Weiss gave Ruby a glare much to Y'Shtola's annoyance, while Yang gave Ruby a hug before they moved on.
"Onyx Priya. Amethyst Priya. Maya Braun. Trevel Mercury. You four retrieved the Black Bishop pieces. From this day forward, you four shall work together as Team MOAT (Moat. Really?), led by Amethyst Priya. Congratulations."
Amethyst and Onyx had evidently found two other faunus. Maya looked to be a monkey faunus with turquoise hair, while Trevel was very easily described as a snake faunus. Bald and scaled, his forked tongue could be seen when he spoke. Team MOAT moved on, leaving Aran and her allies to be the only remaining people on the stage with Ozpin.
"Finally, we have a special case this year. Under normal circumstances, we only accept ten teams, forty students in total, per year. I am happy to announce that this year, we are breaking both of those traditions. Ryne Waters. Aran Vinland. Y'Shtola Ruhl. While you did not retrieve any pieces, this was not your goal in the initiation. I gave you your task personally, and you followed through, not only meeting, but exceeding my expectations as survivors of Erza. I welcome you three into my Academy as Team ARY (Airy or Ahri), led by Aran Vinland. Congratulations, and welcome to the Kingdom of Vale." Ozpin finished, extending his hand.
Aran took it, feeling him slip something into her hand. Without looking, she smiled and followed the rest of the teams off the podium, waiting until she was well immersed in the crowd to look into her hand.
Resting in it, was a slip of paper. Written on it, was Eorzean scripture.